Pennsylvania House makes last-ditch effort to stave off cuts at Philadelphia's public transit agency

Winnipeg Free Press

2 days ago

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's House of Representatives met hastily Monday to pass transportation funding legislation in a last-ditch effort to stave off deep service cuts at the Philadelphia region's public transit agency.
The Democratic-backed bill passed the chamber, 108-95, over the objection of nearly every Republican in the chamber.
The nearly $1 billion bill has the support of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, and includes funding for highways, too. But it faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Senate, where the GOP majority has resisted increasing aid for transit.
The bill increases aid for transit agency operations by $292 million, or about 25% more, with the lion's share of the money going to the Philadelphia-based Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.
SEPTA has said it cannot keep waiting for more aid before it makes cuts, which it says would be more drastic than any undertaken by a major transit agency in the United States.
The nation's sixth-largest public transit system has warned that it will cut half its services by Jan. 1 and be unable to provide enhanced service for major tourist events next year. Those include FIFA World Cup matches in Philadelphia, events surrounding the celebration of the nation's 250th birthday, Major League Baseball's all-star game, the PGA Championship and NCAA March Madness games.
The deadline push comes after two years of stalemate, amid transit struggles nationwide with rising costs and lagging ridership.
SEPTA has said that, on Thursday, it will begin a 10-day preparation period for 20% across-the-board service cuts. Those take effect Aug. 24 and include eliminating bus routes with lower ridership and reducing the frequency of bus, trolley and rail services across the region.
Under the plan, fares will then rise by 21.5% on Sept. 1 and, soon after, the agency will impose a hiring freeze. It will carry out another service cut on Jan. 1 that will mean that it will have eliminated half its current services, it has said.
Democrats say shoring up public transit agencies around the state is critical to the economy and making sure people can get to work, school and medical appointments.
Republicans have objected that transit agencies need to become more efficient, highways need more state funding and transit riders should pay higher fares.
Transit agencies in Pittsburgh and elsewhere around Pennsylvania also say they are making cuts or raising fares, or both.
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